Beverage dispensing head



Aug. 10, 1965 .1. E. CARY ETAL 3,199,733

BEVERAGE DISPENSING HEAD Original Filed Jan. 25, 1960 2. Sheets-Sheet 1FIG.I

JAMES E. CARY WALTER D. WALKER INVENTORSZ M$mv Al IORNE 5 BEVERAGEDISPENSING HEAD Original Filed Jan. 25. 1960 2; Sheets-Sheet 2 JAMES E.CARY WALTER D. WALKER INVENTORSJ Layman ATTORNEYS United States Patent3,19%,733 BEVERAGE BEEPENSING HEAD James E. Cary, Edmonds, and Waiter D.Walker, Seattle, Wash, nssignors to Sweden Freezer Manufacturing C(L,Seattie, Wash, a corporation of Washington Griginal application .ian.25, 11 60, der. No. 4,504, new Patent No. 3,1123%, dated Dec. 3, 1%3.Divided and this application Nov. 28, E62, Ser. No. 249,537 3 Ciaims.(131,.222-1292) The present invention relates to beverage dispensers,and more particularly to a dispensing head for selectively mixing anddelivering carbonated and flavored drinks from supplied carbonatedwater, plain water and flavoring syrup. This application is a divisionof our copending ap lication, Ser. No. 4,505, filed January 25, 1960,now Patent No. 3,112,656.

As an important object the invention aims to provide an improved leverand valve arrangement whereby pushpuil movements of a control handle canresult in different predetermined beverages.

A further object is to provide such an arrangement which can be readilyadjusted for various combinations of dispensed drinks.

Still another object of the invention is the providing of a novelarrangement whereby the velocity of carbonated water ejected into amixing chamber will be dampened before final delivery of the beverage.

The present invention also aims to provide a particularly compactdispensing head of simple, economical and durable construction whichincorporates a series of control levers for selecting respective ofmultiple flavored beverages.

With yet additional objects and advantages in view which, with theforegoing, will appear and be understood in the course of the followingdescription and clmms, the invention consists in the novel constructionand in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a right side elevational view with part of the housingbroken away of a dispensing head embodying the teachings of the presentinvention and with the set screws in the viewed right hand control leverbeing ad justed to dispense a carbonated-flavored drink responsive tomanual pull of the related control handles (dotted line position) and todispense carbonated water responsive to manual push of such handle (fullline position).

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the dispensing head with partsbroken away and taken as indicated by line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2and with the set screws adjusted for the dispensing of plain waterresponsive to the illustrated pull position of the middle control handleand for carbonated water in the push position thereof.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4of FIG. 2 and with the concerned right-hand primary lever and relatedreverse lever shown in vertical position.

FIG. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 ofFIG. 1.

PEG. 6 is a detail horizontal sectional View taken at the top of themixing bore; and

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view taken along the line '?'7 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings it is seen that the dispensing head of thisinvention comprises a block 9 which is drilled to provide variouspassages for carbonated water, plain water, and flavoring syrupselectively discharging through spouts 10 and supplied to respectiveback fittings 11-13.

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These fittings are mounted on a rear cover plate 14 and intersectcorresponding laterally extending manifolds 15-17 sealed by a gasket 13.These ducts communicate via ducts 1921 with a laterally disposed seriesof downwardly directed and forwardly sloping mixing bores 22. Forwardfiow through these ducts is determined by a set of front control leverassemblies A-C which act upon the stems 23-25 of banks of verticallyspaced valves 26-28 in opposition to valve closing springs 29. Each ofthese banks is the same and so like identifying numerals have beenapplied to the parts thereof. For purposes of example, the controls forthe banks have been illustrated set to give a choice of plain carbonatedwater or a carbonated-flavored drink by controls A and C, and a choiceof carbonated water or plain Water by control B.

- Continuing with the description of the dispensing head construction,it will be noted that the ducts 1921 together with forward extensions3032 house the valve stems 2325. These extensions are sealed by rings 33carried by the valve stems while the manifold ends of the ducts 19-21have tapered seats 34 for sealing rings 35 mounted on the front workingfaces of the valves. The diameters of the ducts 19-21 relative to theirrelated valve stems 2325 of course determine the flow rate therethroughfor given supply pressures. Accordingly, the duct diameters arepredetermined to give the proper relative how between the carbonatedwater, plain water, and flavoring syrup. Thus it will be noted that theorifice between the carbonated water duct 19 and its stem 23 isconsiderably smaller than the respective plain water and flavoringorifices.

The afore-mentioncd control lever assemblies A-C are positionedside-by-side between groups of vertical banks 36-37 formed at the frontof block 19. Each assembly comprises a primary lever 38 having a handle41 at the top and a reversing lever 41 at one side thereof. Pins 4343are used to pivotally mount the levers 38, 41, respectively, to thebanks 36-37 for fore and aft swinging movement response to push-pull inthe related handle 41). Reversing of the levers occurs during pushing ofthe handle and is accomplished by way of a reversing lug 44 whichprojects from the reversing lever 41 below the pivot pin 43 in front ofthe related primary lever. Thus as the portion of the primary lever 38swings forwardly responsive to manual pushing of its handle 45, the lug44 is engaged thereby causing the portion of the reversing lever 41located above the pivot pin 43 to swing rearwardly toward the block 10.Such upper portion of the reversing lever also has 8. lug, denoted 45,which projects behind the associated primary lever at the same elevationas the uppermost valve stem 23. Thus when the handle 49 is pushed thisupper lug 45 is pushed against the stem 23 and responsively unseats therelated valve 26 for discharging carbonated water. Since, at the sametime, the lower portion of the primary lever has been swung away fromthe other valve stems 2445, only carbonated water will thus be dispensedresponsive to pushing of the handle.

It should be noted that the primary lever 38 is formed with a backrecess 46 for receiving the upper lug 45. This recess is of such a depththat the lug 45 will not engage the stem 23 to unseat the valve 26responsive to a forward pull of the respective handle 41? unless thislug is preset rearwardly of the floor of the recess 46 by screwing in aset screw 47 which is threaded into a through-bore in the primary lever.Similarly, the primary lever has threaded bores alined with the valvestems 24-25 for receiving set screws 48- 39. These bores are larger thanthe heads of stems 2d25 so that the latter can project into the boreswhen such are not fully occupied by the set screws. With thisarrangement one or both of the plain water and flavoring valves 27-28can be preset to an always closed condition for a given handle 4% bybacking of Q the respective set screw. For example, instead ofdispensing'a carbonated-flavored drink by a pull of the primary leversas with illustrated units A and C, and the case of middle control unit Bthe lower set screw 49 has been backed out together with the upper setscrew 47, and hence, only the plain water valve 27 is opened responsiveto pulling of the handle as best seen in FIG. 3.

Furthermore, the arrangement permits such valves 27- 28 to be openedsimultaneously or in sequence. In this latter regard, the set screws 47and 49 can be advanced relative to the intermediate screw 48 to open thecarbonated water and flavoring syrup valves 26, 23 responsive to acertain pull arc on the handle while the plain valve 27 remains closed.Then further pulling of the handle can be set to result in addition ofplain water.

In the illustrated embodiment, for purposes of example I have shown thereversing levers 41 of all the banks as operating the carbonated watervalves 26. It will be understood that if desired, the position of any ofthese levers can be shifted to operate the other valves 27 or 28responsive to push of the respective primary lever 38.

As shown in FIG. 6 for duct 19, the ducts 19-21 intersect the mixingbore 22 along a chord which is well offset from the bores longitudinalaxis so that the respective liquid will discharge tangentially into thebore and commence a spiral travel path toward the spout 10. This spiralpath is particularly valuable in the case of the carbonated water indampening the velocity thereof. To elaborate, in travelling a givendistance along the length of the mixing bore the carbonated water isforced to travel substantially further in a spiral path than it wouldwere it to travel straight along the bore. However, it is preferred tohave the dispensed liquid discharge lineally from the spout. To achievethis end I insert a bafile or straightener 50 in the mixing bore betweenthe ducts 20-21. This straightener may take the form of a ring which iscemented in place and then has its inner face scalloped as shown in FIG.7 as by drilling holes longitudinally therethrough at regular intervalsof its circumference. As the spiralling liquid engages the straightenera large part of its spiral action is broken up so that by the time itreaches the mouth of the spout very little, if any, tangential componentremains in the discharging liquid. At'the point of entry of flavoringsyrup into the mixing bore, blending of the flavoring is enhanced by thetangential entry path of the syrup together with the remaining spiralaction of the carbonated water at that level.

' It is thought that the invention will have been clearly understoodfrom the foregoing detailed description. Changes in the details ofconstruction will suggest themselves and may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of'the invention, wherefore it is my intentionthat no limitations be implied and that the heEt o annexed claims begiven a scope fully commensurate with the I broadest interpretation towhich the employed language admits.

What we claim is: 1. In a dispensing head, a block having a mixing boreof circular cross section discharging at one of its ends and having itsother end closed, a carbonated liquid supply duct tangentiallyintersecting said bore adjacent said closed end whereby carbonatedliquid supplied to said duct under pressure flows in a spiral path alongsaid bore toward its discharge end, a flow straightening bathe in saidbore between said supply duct and said discharge end, a liquid flavoringsupply duct intersecting said bore between said baflle and saiddischarge end, and means for supplying pressurized carbonated liquid andliquid flavoring, respectively, to said carbonated liquid supply ductand to said flavoring supply duct.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said liquid flavoring supply ductalso tangentially intersects said bore.

3. In a dispensing head, a block having a downwardly extending mixingbore of circular cross-section closed at its lower end, a fore-and-aftextending carbonated liquid supply duct tangentially intersecting saidbore whereby carbonated fluid supplied to the rear of said duct underpressure flows in a spiral path along said bore toward its dischargeend, a flow straightening baflle in said bore below said carbonatedliquid supply duct, a fore-and-aft extending liquid flavoring supplyduct intersecting said bore between said bafi le and said lower end,respective springloaded normally closed valves at the rear of saidducts, respective valve stems extending forwardly from said valvesthrough said ducts to the front of said block, said stems being smallerin diameter than their said ducts and having duct sealing meansforwardly of said mixing bore, means for supplying pressurizedcarbonated liquid and liquid flavoring, respectively, to the rear ofsaid carbonated liquid supply duct and liquid flavoring supply duct, andcontrol means on said block for selectively depressing said stems toopen said valves together.

References Cited by the Examiner UNETED STATES PATENTS 883,176 3/08Davis 138-40 930,087 8/09 Reich 239-415 1,258,964 3/18 Voorsanger222-132 1,664,967 4/28 Christensen 138-44 X 2,043,108 6/36 Maurer137-604 2,336,682 12/43 Gross 74489 X 2,348,334 5/44 Ellinger 239-471 X2,645,463 7/53 Stearns 138-44 X 2,653,055 9/53 Welty et al ZZZ-144.5 X2,755,000 7/56 Parre 222-129.4 2,802,599 8/57 Callahan et al 222-129.4 X2,883,996 4/59 Blewett et al 222-134 X 2,921,605 1/60 Booth et al137-636 2,940,483 6/60 Mossberg 222-134 X 2,977,026 3/61 DelgadoZZZ-129.4 3,015,420 1/ 62 Chudnow 222- X FOREIGN PATENTS 792,912 4/ 58Great Britain.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A DISPENSING HEAD, A BLOCK HAVING A MIXTURE BORE OF CIRCULAR CROSSSECTION DISCHARGING AT ONE OF ITS ENDS AND HAVING ITS OTHER END CLOSED,A CARBONATED LIQUID SUPPLY DUCT TANGENTIALLY INTERSECTING SAID BOREADJACENT SAID CLOSED END WHEREBY CARBONATED LIQUIDS SUPPLIED TO SAIDDUCT UNDER PERSSURES FLOWS IN A SPIRAL PATH ALONG SAID BORE TOWARD ITSDISCHARGED END, A FLOW STRAIGHTENING BAFFLE IN SAID BORE BETWEEN SAIDSUPPLY DUCT AND SAID DISCHARGE END, A LIQUID FLAVORING SUPPLY DUCTINTERSECTING SAID BORE BETWEEN SAID BAFFLE AND SAID DISCHARGE END, ANDMEANS FOR SUPPLYING PRESSURIZED CARBONATED LIQUID FLAVORING,RESPECTIVELY, TO SAID CARBONATED LIQUID SUPPLY DUCT AND TO SAIDFLAVORING SUPPLY DUCT.